Career Decision-Making

Every day you make hundreds of decisions, from what to have for breakfast, to what to wear, to how you spend your day, and so on... you are making decisions all the time! It's impossible to go through a single day without making a decision.

Usually the more important a decision is to you, the harder it is to make. It may be easy to decide what movie to watch, but deciding on what career to choose is often difficult!

Career decision-making would be easy if you could completely predict the outcome of each career option. However, each choice will involve some risk and uncertainty since we cannot predict the future.

Many students avoid making a decision about a college major or a career because they fear they'll make the wrong decision. They may believe that the wrong decision will result in being stuck in a job they hate forever. Frequently, students hold on to false hope that somehow the perfect career will present itself to them without any effort or risk involved. Unfortunately, this is not the case. There are few decisions in life that are unchangeable. Even if you select the wrong career you can still choose another occupation that may be more compatible.

"People say I'm indecisive, but I don't know about that." - George Bush

Students who avoid making an informed career decision take a different type of risk: they may find themselves in a job that is not something they truly enjoy or find interesting. Without a clear career goal, a person is more likely to take any job they can get because of family responsibilities and financial obligations. Years later, they may realize they are in a job that was not a conscious choice, and thus provides them little satisfaction and personal success.

Keep in mind there are few decisions in life that are unchangeable. Even if you select the wrong career you can choose another occupation that may be more compatible. It’s important to generate more than one serious career possibility, that way - if choice #1 doesn't work out, you can always fall back on #2 or #3.

One of the most important ways to reduce the risk associated with career decisions is to gather all the necessary information on your values, interests, personality, skills, abilities, and strengths. Once you have this information, and begin to research careers, you will be able to immediately recognize those careers for which you are compatible.

CBC provides the following valuable resources to help you with career decisions: